Process of modifying polyethylene glycol terephthalate fabrics with guanidine or guanidine carbonate and optionally thiodiglycol or omicron-phenylphenol



United States Patent .0

The present invention relates to a process of altering the appearance of fabrics wholly or partially made of polyester fibres.

It is already known that, by means'of chemicals, pat-- terns can be produced on auniform ground fabric which is, for instance, made of acetate fibres or cellulose fibres.

Especially in the case of fabrics consisting of fibre mix tures the one fibre may be strongly attacked or even de-g composed whilst the other is completely preserved. A classic example in this direction is the so-called burnout article the cellulose fibres of which are destroyed by means of carbonizing agents.

Now we have found that H wholly or partially made of polyester fibres can be altered in such a way that they are printed, with pastes containing; a thickening agent and guanidine or. compounds yielding guanidine and that the printed fabric is subjected to a. steaming process or to the action of high temperatures.

The guanidine is advantageously applied in the form of the carbonate.

By polyester fibres are understood such fibres asvare formed from bivalent acids and polyhydric alcoholsand contain 6-member carbocyclic rings. There are particularly mentioned the high molecular polyesters on the basis of aromatic dicarboxylic acids, such as terephthalic acid and bihydric aliphatic alcohols such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, dimethyl-propylene glycol. 1

As thickening agent there may be'used'the usual printing thickenings such as --British gum, l-crystal" gum,

tragacanth, polyvinyl alcohol, starch and cellulose .deriva- 3 tives, locust bean flour thickening and the like.

The intensity of the action can be varied according to the time and intensity of the heating or steaming process. The printed parts of the fabric, for example, can become transparent by subsequent steaming. If, however, the fabric is heated to high temperatures, for example to 180 C.-220 C., the printed parts of the polyester fabric are destroyed.

The concentration of guanidine or guanidine carbonate normally ranges between 15 and 45 percent, calculated upon the total quantity of the paste to be applied. By the additional use of auxiliaries intensifying the efiect such as thiodiglycol or ortho-phenyl-phenol it is possible to reduce the concentration of guanidine or guanidine carbonate to 5-10 percent. The quantities of the auxiliary should advantageously be within the same range, i.e. between 5-10 percent.

The time of steaming and of the subsequent heating to high temperatures depends on various factors, such as the desired eifect, the temperature, the auxiliaries etc. Normally, it suifices to steam for about 30 minutes or to heat for about /2-1 minute, preferably at a temperature ranging between 170 C. and 220 C.

Such printing thickenings having a decomposing eifect can be printed on undyed and dyed material, on textiles made solely of polyester fibres and also on such textiles the appearance of fabrics rinsed and dried.

Patented June 27, 1961 2 1., consisting of mixtures of polyester fibres and other fibrous. materials, for example, native cellulose, fibres of'regena erated cellulose, wool and synthetic fibres such as are made, for example of polyacrylonitrile, superpolyamidesi; and thelike. p :1.

To the pastes containing the thickening agents and; guanidine, advantageously in the form of. the carbonate, there may be, added-other substances, for example dye-1 stuffs such as dispersion dyestuffs, vat dyestuffs, pigment; dyestuffs etc., whereby especially attractive eifccts can be;; obtained, particularly in the case ofmixed fabrics. Discharging agents may also be used thus yielding furthers, possibilities of variation, for example, by white or; coloured discharging. e

The following examples serve to illustrate the invention,; but they are not intended to limit it thereto, theqparts being by weight: I

Example 1.

60 parts of a mixture consisting of British (1:1 and crystal gum (1:2') are mixed with 20 parts ofjwater A fabric made ,of poly'ethylene giy ortereph g g fibresvis printed'with the paste thus obtained, dried; heat d for '30, seconds to 200 C., rinsed, -soaped at the b ilf The unprinted, parts .of the fabric "show a dullmlilk" appearance whilst thefprinted pattern is transparen V i I Example)" w 50 parts of British gum (1:1) are mixed with 25p its of guanidine carbonate and 25 'parts of water. Afabrie made of polyester fibres is printed with the pastethi l's obtained, dried, heated for '1 minute "t'o" 200'-'C.',' rinsed, soaped at the boiL-rinsed'and dried. T i i The printed parts of the fabric are completely des Example 3 f .i:[ A nettle-like fabric made of spun polyester'fibre am is overprinted, by means'of a fineblotchTroller; :vvithas paste consisting of; ii T Tea 50 partsof British (1,11), 1 1 25 parts of guanidine,.carbonate, and 25 .parts of water... 1 I. The fabric is then'dr ied, heated'forxl'minutet 20 g rinsed, dried once more and roughened. Whilst, in view of the high strength of the polyester fibre, the untreated fabric can only be roughened very difiiculty, the treated material can be roughened very well. By the choice of appropriate patterns any desired roughening effects can be obtained in such a manner that the printed parts show a denser fleece while the unprinted parts are raised very little. In this manner, even continuous fibres can be advantageously worked up into raised articles.

Example 4 Example 5 60 parts of British gum (1:1) are mixed with 10 parts of guanidine carbonate, 10 parts of ortho-phenyl-phenol and 20 parts of water. A fabric made of polyethylene glycol terephthalate is printed with this paste, dried, heated for 40 seconds to 200 C., rinsed, soaped at the boil, rinsed and dried.

r The printed parts of the fabric are completely removed. -Wec1aim:

1. A process which comprises printing in selected areas fabrics comprising fibers consisting essentially of polyethylene glycol terephthalate with a printing paste selected from 'the group consisting of {(-1) a'paste comprising an inert thickening agent and from about 15 percent to about 45 percent by weight of a member of the group consisting of guanidine and guanidine carbonate,

. .(2) a paste comprising an inert thickening agent and from about '5 percent to about 10 percent by weight each of thiodiglycol and a member of the group consisting of guanidine and guanidine carbonate, and

; (3) a paste comprising an inert thickening agent and from about 5 percent to about percent by weight each of o-phenylph enol and a member of the group consisting of guanidine and guanidine carbonate, all said percentages being based on the total weight of the printing pastes, and then heating-the printed fabric at a temperature from about 100 to about 220 C. until complete destruction of the polyethylene glycol terephthalate fibers ,in the printed area-occurs.

2. A- process which comprises printing in selected areas fabrics comprising fibers consisting essentially of polyethylene glycol terephthalate with a printing paste comprising an inert thickening agent and from about percent .toabout 45 percent, based on the total weight of printing paste, of a member of the group consisting of guanidine and guanidine carbonate, and then heating the printed fabric at a temperature from about 100 C. to about 220 C. until complete destruction of the polyethylene glycol terephthalate fibers in the printed areas occur 3. A process as-in claim 2 wherein said printing paste contains guanidine carbonate.

-4. A process as in claim 3 wherein the printed fabric is heated at a temperature from about 170 to about 220' C.

5. A process as in claim 4 wherein said inert thickening agent is British gum.

6. A process which comprises printing in selected areas fabrics consisting essentially of polyethylene glycol terephthalate fibers with a printing paste comprising an inert thickening agent and from about 15 percent to about percent, based on the total weight of printing paste, of a member of the group consisting of guanidine and guanidine carbonate, and then heating the printed fabric at a-temperature from about C. to about 220 .4 C. until complete destruction of the polyethylene glycol terephthalate fibers in the printed areas occurs.

7. A process as in claim 6 wherein said printing paste contains guanidine carbonate.

8. A process as in claim 7 wherein the printed fabric is heaed at a temperature from about to about 220 A 9. A'process as in claim 8 wherein said inert thickening agent is British gum.

10. A process which comprises printing in selected areas fabrics comprising fibers consisting essentially ofpolyethylene glycol terephthalate with a printing paste containing an inert thickening agent and from about 5 percent to about 10 percent by weight each of .guanidine carbonate and a member of the .group consisting of thiodiglycol and o-phenylphenol, basedon the total weight of the printing paste, and then heating the printed fabric at a temperature from about 100 C. to about 220 C. until complete destruction of the polyethylene glycol terephthalatefibers in the printed areas takes place.

11. A process as in claim 10 wherein said temperature is between about 170 to about 220 C.

'12. A process which comprises printing in selected areas fabrics consisting essentially of polyethylene glycol terephthalate with a printing paste containing an inert thickening agent and from about 5 percent to about 10 percent by weight each of guanidine carbonate and a member of the group consisting of thiodiglycol and o-phenylphenol, based "on the total Weight of the printing paste, and then heating the printed fabric at a temperature from about 100 C. -to about 220 C. until complete destruction of the polyethylene glycol terephthalate fibers in'the printed areas takes place.

13. A process as in claim 12 wherein said temperature is between about 170 to about 220 C.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,588,951 Dreyfus June 15, 1926 2,287,696 Willer June 23, 1942 2,607,655 Weiss Aug. 19, 1952 2,607,656 Ridge Aug. 19, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 664,921 Great Britain Jan. 16, 1952 OTHER REFERENCES American Dyestutf Reporter, Nov. 13, 1950, .p. 79.0, The Dyeing Properties of Terylene. 

1. A PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES PRINTING IN SELECTED AREAS FABRICS COMPRISING FIBERS CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL TEREPHTHALATE WITH A PRINTING PASTE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (1) A PASTE COMPRISING AN INERT THICKENING AGENT AND FROM ABOUT 15 PERCENT TO ABOUT 45 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF A MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF GUANIDINE AND GUANIDINE CARBONATE, (2) A PASTE COMPRISING AN INERT THICKENING AGENT AND FROM ABOUT 5 PERCENT TO ABOUT 10 PERCENT BY WEIGHT EACH OF THIODIGLYCOL AND A MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF GUANIDINE AND GUANIDINE CARBONATE, AND (3) A PASTE COMPRISING AN INERT THICKENING AGENT AND FROM ABOUT 5 PERCENT TO ABOUT 10 PERCENT BY WEIGHT EACH OF O-PHENYLPHENOL AND A MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF GUANIDINE AND GUANIDINE CARBONATE, ALL SAID PERCENTAGES BEING BASED ON THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE PRINTING PASTES, AND THEN HEATING THE PRINTED FABRIC AT A TEMPERATURE FROM ABOUT 100* TO ABOUT 220* C. UNTIL COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF THE POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL TEREPHTHALATE FIBERS IN THE PRINTED AREA OCCURS. 